“‘I can’t: there’s nobody to take care of me if I did.’
“‘Come with me, and let me see how you look.’ He took my hand, cast his ample cloak around my shivering shoulders, and I walked by his side to a small fancy shop, the other side of the square. He began singing an air as he walked along; it sounded perfectly celestial to my ears.
“A pretty girl stood behind the counter, serving customers; she looked like an angel to me then; and I thought that poor little shop must certainly contain every beautiful thing on the face of the earth. After getting a bank note changed, my new friend pushed back my matted hair from my face, and attentively surveyed me from head to foot. I now saw his face; he was a tall, well made man, and his countenance bore a good-humored expression; the result of his investigations seemed satisfactory; for, turning to the shop girl, he said to her:
“‘Mademoiselle Marie, can you oblige me by having this child’s face and hands washed clean?’ and pointing to a child’s dress of blue merino, hanging on the wall; ‘fit her, if you please, with a robe of that description, with suitable clothing, and I will pay whatever you may charge.’ The young girl looked astonished at this; but her amazement in no way equalled mine. To be presented with, what appeared to me, a princely gift, from an utter stranger, seemed too beautiful to be true. I imagined he must be my guardian angel, who had assumed humanity to watch over me; I was too young to perceive that the man had any motive in doing this benevolent action.
“I followed the girl, whom he called Mademoiselle Marie, to a small, neat chamber up stairs; where by dint of perseverance, and some strength, she succeeded in restoring my face, neck and hands, to their original color; she then took a comb and smoothed my tangled locks, put clean shoes and stockings on my feet, clean under-clothing, and lastly, the pretty dress. I walked across the room to a large mirror, and struck with astonishment, contemplated my metamorphosis. I beheld a tall, slender child, with an oval face, whose large blue eyes and auburn hair, gave a pensive expression to the countenance; my complexion would have been a delicate white, had it not been turned by constant exposure to the sun. Was it possible that this interesting child was myself? I concluded it must be an agreeable dream.
“Mademoiselle led me down stairs again, to my new protector. ‘She looks much better now, sir; don’t you think so, now she’s dressed nice and clean?’
“‘Wonderful,’ cried my new friend, ‘I should scarcely know her. Now, my child, I’ll tell you why I give you this pretty dress; I want you to leave the old woman who has you now, and come with me and learn to be an actress; would you not like to be a great actress, rather than beg in the streets?’
“‘I don’t like to ask money of people; I don’t like that way of living at all; but I don’t know what you mean by an actress; what do they do?’
“‘Poor child,’ ejaculated Mademoiselle, ‘how dreadfully ignorant.’